Leader: Put Legislature in Sunshine

Sunday

Despite Gov. Charlie Crist's high-profile - and largely successful - push to make the state's executive branch more accessible, there is still plenty of work to do.

Crist's office quickly provides public records upon request and has made the issue one of the governor's top priorities. State agencies that used to delay releasing documents for days or weeks, or even longer, under Gov. Jeb Bush are now much more responsive.

But House Democratic Leader Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, is questioning the Legislature's penchant for secrecy. Most notably, the Legislature's flawed plan to cut taxes was hatched at about 1:30 a.m. one morning in June in a Capitol office by two lawmakers. With little advance notice, the Legislature approved it that day, only to have a judge toss it out last week for being unconstitutional.

Gelber said that recent discussions to cut the budget and fix the state's no-fault auto-insurance laws have been done with little or no publicity or discussion.

"Nearly every day we hear a news report that legislators are 'negotiating' some issue, or that some 'agreement' has been reached about something important," Gelber wrote in an op-ed column. "For instance, for months legislators have been negotiating whether the state's no-fault auto-insurance law [PIP] was going to end because the Legislature could not agree on what needed to be done about it. And, just last week, it was reported that the Legislature, after tumultuous 'talks,' had agreed on how to cut Florida's budget.

"Amazingly, all of these decisions and negotiations, and the talks that preceded them, were made in private. No media were present to hold people accountable or to report who was part of the decision. No one from the public was present to ask questions or testify whether these decisions were good for Floridians. More and more this is the way the people's business is being conducted in Tallahassee."

Gelber suggests that voters may need to change the constitution and force more public meetings as legislation is created and discussed. We'll see.

GOVERNOR EIGHT BALL

Like a Magic Eight Ball, Florida's governor usually provides reporters one of a few stock answers, regardless of the question. Here is a sample from a Tuesday morning media meeting with Crist.

Asked about Monday's court ruling that, for now, bars a Jan. 29 referendum on changing property taxes: "I'm encouraged by what I've seen and heard. ... Either we can appeal or we can also look at [rewriting] the language" during the special session. "We're looking at both, and I'm optimistic."

Asked if a delay might help come up with a better tax-cutting plan: "I'm sympathetic to that. This may be a blessing in disguise."

Was the judge's decision correct? "I'm not sure. It kind of depends on how you look at it."

Any tension between your office and the Legislature over a deal that would allow Indian casinos to expand in the state? "No, there's not. I'm encouraged by it," Crist said of the negotiations.

How about the move to keep the state's required no-fault auto insurance? "It looks pretty good to me. I'm encouraged by it and I'm optimistic about it."

In his defense, media "gaggles" are not exactly pensive salons of deep thought. Reporters rush to ask questions in a few free minutes of time in a crush of bodies thrusting microphones, tape recorders and TV cameras toward the target.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.